Access To Mental Healthcare Still A Challenge For Many On Medicaid

On its front page, the New York Times (8/28, A1, Goodnough, Subscription Publication) reports in a 2,400-word story that “the Affordable Care Act has paved the way for a vast expansion of mental health coverage in America, providing access for millions of people who were previously uninsured or whose policies did not include such coverage before.” Figures from the Department of Health and Human Services indicate that “nearly one in five Americans has a diagnosable mental illness…but most get no treatment.” Medicaid expansion has now allowed many poor people to seek mental healthcare. The problem is finding a therapist, many of which “refuse to accept Medicaid” and are reluctant to take on the related paperwork. The article details “shortfalls in care” as seen through the eyes of therapists and patients in Louisville, KY.